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SELOEIGAL SEMI” 


The Universal Consciousness 


OF THE BAHA’!I RELIGION 


A brief treatise introductory 
to the study of 


THE BAHA'I REVELATION 


The object of which is the attainment of the Universal 
Consciousness by all human kind through the spiritual 
oneness of the peoples of all religions, races, 
nations and classes. 


By f 


CHARLES MASON REMEY 
1925 


Copies of this book may be obtained from the Baha’i Publishing 
Committee, P.O. Box 148. Grand Central Station, New York City, U.S.A. 


Price perrCOpyss. Sux mera ae reo cents 
DO CODICB Thiel Mie) wees wt fe, OUlarS 
100 » TA RS te ASRS IG Co A | 


Approved by the 
National Baha’i Reviewing Committee of .America 
April, 1925 


Printed by Tipografia Sordomuti, Firenze, Italia. 


WERT RT eS tt 
. ; a 


-, See 


~ 


FOREWORD 


In the Spring of 1919 a pamphlet was published 
entitled « The New Day » which gave a general epi- 
tome of the Bahé’i Cause. That edition now being 
exhausted, a second edition was considered, but in 
view of the many developments in the Cause during 
these past six years, various additions seemed advisable. 
The supplementary material added to the original 
pamphlet made a booklet quite different from the 
original, therefore it is being published under anoth- 
er title, « The Universal Consciousness of the Baha’i 
Religion ». 

This treatise compiled from material previously ap- 
proved and circulated in printed articles, is published 
in order to meet the present increasing need for 
abridged apologetic literature in the ever extending 
field of Baha'i teaching. Its contents summarize infor- 
mation which can be found in an expanded form in 
the standard literature of this movement. 

The author is greatly indebited to Mrs. H. Emogene 
Hoagg for valuable assistance rendered in preparing 
this small volume for publication. 

OC. M. R. 
Florence, Italy 
June 1925 











é 3 


THE UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS. 


« In this age Bahww'llah has breathed the Holy Spirit 
“into the dead body of the world. Consequently every 
weak soul is strengthened by these fresh divine outbreath- 
ings. Every poor man will become rich, every darkened 
soul wise, because the confirmations of the Holy Spirit 

are descending like unto torrenis. A new era of divine 
consciousness is upon us. The world of humanity is — 
going through a process of transformation, A new race 
_is being developed. The thoughts of human brotherhood 
are permeating all regions. New ideals are stirring the 
depths of hearts and a new spirit of wniversal con- 
sciousness is being profowndly felt by all men, » 





"Abdi’l-Baha. 





THE BAHA’! RELIGION 


re 
we 
th 


1 
Y 








THE BAHA’I RELIGION 


‘THE RELIGIOUS NEED OF THE TIME. 


In this day, with the pure truths which have come 
down to us through the religions of the past, are 
found many devotional forms and formulae: supersti- | 
tion, creeds and dogmas, which, distinct and apart from 
divine truth, are but the thought forms of past ages, 
handed down to us in the name of religion. 

_ These dead relics of the concepts of men long dead 
‘no longer ease the conscience of the world, nor bring 
Satisfaction to the mind of the individual adherent of 
these systems of thought. 3 

_ Humanity is now in need of a spiritual power and 
‘nowedge, — a divine consciousness — with which to 
meet and solve the problems and conditions of this 
new day and age. Hence the general changing and 
unsettled condition of the world of religious thought, 
which is causing a large and increasing number of 
sincere and progressive people to go out from the 
prescribed limits of the religious thought of the past 
and to search diligently for those universal and funda- 
mental truths of the spiritual realm of life and being, 
the knowledge of which truths is the very essence of 
the religion of God. 

_ The Baha'i Cause offers to the world an all-inclusive, 
universal, spiritual teaching, so closely related to the 
truths of the religions of the past, that its exponents 
see no difference between religious verity past and 
present: a teaching free from the credes and super- 
Stitions of the past, — so real and so broad that people 


> -, 



















ee a 


12 


of all races and of all religions find place therein. It 


is essentially a religious movement, a spiritual teaching, 
free from the limitations of sect and « ism », and 


constructive in its building upon the true faith of 


the individual and upon the pure teachings of the 
past, thus increasing love and devotion to God and 


creating within each soul the desire to manifest the > 


light of these divine attributes through brotherly ser- 
vice to one’s fellowmen. 


OBJECT. 


The object of the Baha’i Revelation is the religious 
unification of all people. This teaching has come into 


the world to fulfil, to perfect and to complete the 
divine teachings of the past. It stands as the one goal 
toward which truth has always worked through its 
appearance in the divine revelators and prophets sent 
unto various peoples of the past ages, and it is the 
beginning of that age of spiritual enlightenment and 
peace, the coming of which has been the one theme 


of all divine teaching of the past: The Kingdom of © 





. ; 
gah tal a ek OE Ei 


God on earth. Thus the Bahd’i Revelation brings and _ 


establishes the long-expected universal religion which 
is the foundation of inter-religious, inter-racial, and 
inter-national brotherhood and peace. It offers to 


mankind a practical spiritual basis for attaining to that 
world cohesive consciousness now generally acknowl- — 


edged by our greatest thinkers to be the only thing 


which will save this divided world with its many — 
warring factions, from the downfall of our present — 
civilization and a reversion to savagery. Through en- — 








13 


gendering this universal or international consciousness 
the Baha'i Cause is ministering to the great world 
needs of this age. It is paving the way for the great 


‘universal civilization which is being realized, as people 


of all religions, races and nations, united in a new 
divine consciousness, are being organically cemented, 
both spiritually and materially, into one great world 
people. 


_ DIVINE REVELATION. 


The Baha'i teaching regarding divine revelation is 
the same in reality as that taught down through the 
ages by the Christ and the prophets. 

Man, being finite, cannot comprehend the essence 
of the infinite God, which is beyond any and all human 
conception. However, through the manifestation of 
the Spirit of God or « The Word », that power which 
has spoken to the world through the Divinity Mani- 


fested and the chosen ones of the past, humanity learns 


of God, knows His attributes, and is quickened by 


His Spirit. 


q 
; 
7 
5 





_ Mankind needs divine quickening and spiritual guid- 


ance. This holy guidance has come to humanity 
through the instrumentality of the Manifestations of 


God or the Prophets—the revealers of truth. These 
chosen souls have been the founders of the great re- 
ligious world-movements. They have manifested the 
Spirit of God to the people of the world, and through 
them men have known God and have become quickened 
by the life of the Kingdom, consequently these Masters 


14 


have been the real educators of humanity and the 


torch-bearers of civilization and progress. 


THE ONENESS OF THE MANIFESTATIONS. 


The principles of divine reality or truth are, have 
been, and ever will be the same and unchangeable, 
but the application of these truths to the changing 
and ever shifting human conditions of the world have 





- iit 
“ey 


been and will be different in every age. ‘Therefore, as — 
one studies and compares the teachings of the various — 
divine Revelators back through history, he finds two ~ 
phases in their holy teachings: first, that which is eter- _ 


nal and unchangeable throughout all times — in other 
words, those divine laws which govern beings upon the 
spiritual plane and which are as immutable and as 


fixed as are the physical laws which regulate all things P 


material in this universe; and second, that which is 


for each prophet’s epoch only, — institutions and | 


teachings which the next Revelator will abolish and 


change, because, with the coming of the next Mani- i 


festation there will exist new and different conditions 


to which he must minister according to the needs of © 


those times. In other words, although the institutions — | 


and the personalities of the Manifestations differed, yet 
the divine power which spoke through each one was 
one and the same in spirit and reality, and the basic 


principles of their teachings have endured from age © 


to age and are eternal. Hach prophet revealed God ‘ 
and the law of the divine kingdom in proportion to — 
the needs of the age to- which be ministered, and in 
terms and parables familiar to the people of that age, — 


< 


“ 


‘ 


“15 


In their purity, all religious teachings are in perfect 
accord ; all hold the fatherhood of God and the brother- 
hood of man. Human differences, imaginations, and 
superstitions which have crept into the religions long 
after the day of revelation, have been the cause of 


- religious division, dissension and disintegration. True 
_ spirituality has ever been the very source and main- 


spring of man’s advancement in civilization. Hach of 
the world’s civilizations has had its conception and 
_ birth in a spiritually potent and active religion, and 
the downfall of civilizations has always been due toa 


_ condition of moral degradation brought about by a 


7 spiritually lifeless religion shrouded in forms and 


- superstitions. 


* THE NEW REVELATION. 


As the former ages have had certain spiritual 
or religious needs, so this present and coming uni- 
_ versal age, upon the threshold of which the world 
now stands, has its own peculiar spiritual and religious 
needs. The world is now ready for the spiritual unity 
_ and harmony of its people. The universal religion 
- now comes in order that the universal civilization may 
be realized. 

The prophets of the past foresaw this latter-day re- 
ligious need, and they also foresaw the coming of three 
great divine teachers, manifesting the Word of God. 
These holy beings, it was foretold, would minister to 
the world, and fulfil the covenant of God in estab- 
lishing his universal religion or the Kingdom of Peace 
- upon earth. - 








16 


The Hebrew prophets dwelt at length upon the — 
coming of the « Ancient of Days », preceded by Hlijah — 


aud succeeded by the Branch, and the glory of that — 


epoch. Jesus the Christ spoke many times of his sec- 
ond coming and the establishment of his Father’s © 
Kingdom upon earth, The prophet Muhammad taught 
that the Mihd’i would come, followed by the Manifes- 
tation of God, who would establish the Kingdom. 
Zoroaster taught of the triumph of light over darkness, 
of truth over ignorance, and his followers expect the 
Promised One, whom they call Shah Bahram, to ac- 
complish this victory. Gautama, The Buddha, fore- — 
told the coming of the great Fifth Buddha, who would 
bring enlightenment to all the world. The Hindu 
holy books mention another incarnation of Krishna, 
or the divine spirit, whose mission would be universal — 
enlightenment; while many of the poets and prose | 
writers of all times have depicted the beauty and the 
perfection of the utopian or millennial age, to be 
realized when The Great World Master appeared 
on earth to establish God’s divine rule among the 
nations. In reality all testified the promise of one 
who was to come, although each spoke of him by 
different names. 

All of these promises of the prophets of old are 
now realized in the coming of the three great Bahai — 
Revelators. In the movement which they have estab- 
lished the people of the various religions find the 
fulfilment of the sacred teachings of the past. In this 
divine Cause they find the solution of the great latter- 
day problem of religious unity, 





17 


. The Baha'i teachings confirm and complete all re- 

-ligious teachings which have gone before, and. offer 
a practical philosophy which meets the present day 
spiritual needs of humanity in establishing divine har- 
pony and peace. 


rot Oe ae 
+ 


THE BAB* 


4 The first of the triad of inspired Bahda’i Revelators 
; arose in Shiraz, Persia. On May 23, 1844, a young 
-man, ’Ali Muhammad by name, declared himself to be 
The Bab, or the forerunner of «He whom God shall 
EManifest » — a great divine teacher, who was soon 
“to appear with manifest signs of spiritual power 
through whose teachings the religious unity of all 
peoples would be accomplished. 
_ Through his purity of soul and spiritual wisdom, 
the Bab drew unto himself many followers who in 
crn promulgated his doctrines with so much fervor 
i that in a short time many believed and joined his 
_ranks. 
‘ The Bab was met early in his career of teaching by 
_ great opposition on the part of the Musl’im clergy. These 
"priests seeing their hold on the people waning, in the 
“light of the Bab’s teachings, arose against him with 
the utmost fanaticism, and at their instigation he was 
placed under a surveillance, In spite of this 
oppression he continued his teaching, exhorting the 





re Bab » is the Arabic word for door or gate. 


ee YON See J ay 
ws oie Tra vAS 

te - ‘ay 

ere ay ge at 


18 — 





















people to holiness and sonbhite of living. in oeden that 
they might be fitted to meet the Promised One, short-_ 
ly to appear, and to become as mirrors reflecting his 
Spiritual perfection. Thus the first two years of the: 
Bab’s ministry passed, at the end of which time he 
was seized by the order of the opposing ser 
authorities and cast into prison. a) 
The Bab’s imprisonment lasted four years, during 
which time he taught his followers through letters” 
and epistles, smuggled by faithful friends past the. 
guards of the prison. This period of suffering was | 
followed by a trial conducted by the Mullaés of the 
Musl’im church in which he was condemned to oa 
upon the charge of heresy. With one of his follow 
ers he suffered martyrdom in the cause of truth, 
the city of Tabriz, Persia, on July 9, 1850. d 
The mission of The Bib being that of precursor 
of «He whom God shall Manifest,» the institution 
and ordinances which he established were for the tim 
being only. With the appearance of the great Prom- 
ised One, the followers, Babis were commanded to | 
turn their faces unto ti who was to come, with the 
assurance that he, the Promised One, w ould reveal | 
his teachings, divine laws and ordinances, thus complet- 
ing the foundation of the Kingdom on earth. The} 
Bab was the « Primal Point >». 
The Bab was not alone in being persecuted by th 
Muslims, for with his martyrdom, troubles of the 
most dire nature came upon his followers. Over| 


19 





. their faith. As late as 1901, at one time there were 
one hundred and seventy souls martyred in this Cause 
in Persia. 


 BAHA’U’LLAH. 


_ During the days of The Bab’s ministry, while his 
_ Cause was being promulgated by his followers through- 
out Persia, there were many believers who never 
met with him in person. Among these was Mirza 
Husayn ’Ali of Nur, later more widely known as Ba- 
hau lll4h, a young man of noble family, who warmly 
espoused the Cause, publicly upholding and teaching ~ 
it in Tihr4n. In 1852, shortly after the Bdb’s mar- 
’ tyrdom, when the persecution of the Babis was at its 
height, Bahdé’u’llah, with others of the new faith, was 
_ imprisoned in Tihraén, and later on with a number of 
_ the followers he was sent in exile to Baghdad, in 
f Jraq-Arabi. ie 
A _ Bahé’u’ll4h’s exile to Baghéd marks an important 
epoch in the development of the Cause, for from that 
time he stands preeminent aS a power in that per- 
_secuted community, 

After the fury of the massacres of 1851-1852, the 
Babis were in a deplorable condition, Many of the 
; disciples and personal associates of the Bab had been 
“4 


- 
be 


martyred, while, on account of the troubles, the few 
remaining ones ac had been personally taught by 
him were all but cut off from association with the 
‘a younger followers. It had not been possible to dis- 
% 
bs _ Seminate, beyond a very limited circle, the writings of 





20 





the Bab, so that the vast’ majority of the believer ’ 
knew but little of his real teachings. In addition they . 
- were actuated by a powerful spirit of devotion, — a } 
devotion which, because of its very intensity, at times © 
led them into difficulties. | 
This was the condition that prevailed when Bahdé’w’ — 
ll4h reached Baghddd. Immediately he directed his at- — 
tention and energy toward bringing knowledge and — 
assurance to the followers, He taught them the real — 
_ or inner spiritual significance of the Bab’s teachings, and ~ 
little by little, through understanding, their undirected — 
enthusiasm found power in restraint and strougih ee 
Thus he prepared them to recognize by their spiritual ; 
faculties the One whose coming the Bab had proclaimed. — 
The Babis now increased in firmness and steadfast- — 
ness, especially those in Baghdad. As the fame of 4 
Bahé’wlldéh spread abroad, men of learning came to — 
converse with him and listen to his teachings, and many j 
of these believed. As the believers increased in num-— 4 
ber, the anger of the Musi’im clergy was aroused, and © 
this in turn gave rise to other serious difficulties, Ba- — 
haé’u’llah was then led to seek a solitary retreat in ~ 
the mountain fastness of Kurdistan, where he remain- 
ed for two years in spiritual preparation for his com-— 
ing manifestation and ministry. a 
Upon Baha’u'llah’s return to Baghdad, great was the — 4 
joy of the Babis. By that time they were realizing — 
their spiritual strength, and they welcomed their teach- 
er with all the fervor and enthusiasm of oriental | 
devotees, 
The priests, fearful of the Joss of their own hold 












2O 





ze upon the people, which they saw waning as the light 
of the new teachings spread, incited the government 
| against Bahdé’u’ll4h, with the determination to do all 
a ey could to Suh his power, Accordingly, after 
‘ some correspondence between the Persian and Turkish 
- governments, an international arrangement was formu- 
Hi lated by which Bahd’u’ll4h was ordered to Constanti- 
WK  nople, there to await the pleasure of the Ottoman Sul- 
_ tain to whom he became temporally subject. 
Upon hearing that their chief was to be removed 
from Baghdad, the believers became wild with grief, 
the greatest consternation prevailing among them. A 
‘4 number of them prepared to accompany him in his fur- 
x ther exile. When, in obedience to the summons of the 
le * Sultan, Bahd’u'll4h left Baghdad previous to starting 
on his long journey, he encamped a short distance 
from the city in the Garden of El Ridvin. There he 
ik was surrounded by some of his most devoted friends 
and followers, — believers in the Bab. | 
a To the most trusted of these followers, Baha’u’llah, 
during his twelve days of sojourn in El Ridvan, reveal- 
ed himself and his mission: that he was The Prom- 
' ised One foretold by the Bab; that he was the One 
"promised by all the prophets to appear in the latter 
_ days and establish God’s Kingdom, the great universal 
: brotherhood of nations; that he was the One through 
_ whose inspired raidance the difficulties of the believers 
would be removed; and that by steadfastly and united- 
aly following w hose injunctions those blessings for 
| which the believers had hoped, suffered and prayed 
- would be realized. This hope he extended to the ad- 


“i 
Pe) 







99 ; 


herents, exhorting them to renew their energies, faith 


and assurance. 


After a long and trying journey Baha’u’llah and a 
followers reached Constantinople, where they remained — 
for some months prior to being sent to Adrianople in. 
the interior of Roumelia, There it was thought Ba- 
hé’u’ll4h would be so far removed from the world — 


which his Cause was agitating as practically to destroy 
his power as a religious teacher, thus striking a blow 


at the new faith. It is to be noted that each attempt — 


upon the part of the temporal powers to oppose this 
Cause marks an epoch in the demonstration of its 
Spiritual power. 





Baha'u'llah and his exiled followers remained in Adri- ; 
anople for five years during which time the Oause grew ~ 
and the believers attained to moral and spiritual vir- — 


tues, their faith manifesting itself in their daily lives. 


This was a time of growth and preparation, Through ~ 
personal contact, those who were with Bahdé’u’ll4h grew ~ 


in the shadow of his wisdom, while those at a distance 


had their souls made strong and steadfast through his — 


. 


Pee # - 


“ 
PF 


written teachings; for in him was found the realization : 
of the spiritual power, glory and majesty of « He whom ~ 


God shall manifest >». 


The spread of this faith, together with other difficul- : 
ties, created trouble with the Turkish government, — 


which increased until an order was issued to send 


te, 


Baha’u’ll4h as a prisoner to the fortress of Akka on 
the coast of Syria, thus removing him farther to z 


the mass of his followers, 
It was in the summer of 1868 that Bahd’u’ll4h and © 


‘eisai 


is 





about seventy of his followers, men, women and child- 
ren, were taken into captivity, overland to Gallipoli, 
where they were embarked in a ship sailing for Egypt. 
% _ Arriving in the harbor of Alexandria, the exiles were 
"transferred to another vessel which landed them in 
| Haifa, but a few’ miles across the bay from Akka, a 
- distance which was covered in small boats. 
_ Akka is the Acre of the time of the Crusaders, more 
: _ anciently known as Ptolemais. Her antiquated ram- 
"parts and crumbling fortifications, the scene of some 
of the bloodiest combats of military history from the 
ip ancient times of the Phoenicians down to the Na- 
-poleonic war in Syria, testify to an earthly power which 
vis. of the past; while her name, so intimately connected 
_ with the Baha’i Cause, today is most closely associated 
_ with this great constructive movement for spiritual 
power and peace, the spiritual glad tidings of which 
oa first sent forth to all the world from behind her 
. 
2 





prison gates. 

For some years prior to Bahé’u’lla’s arrival, the 
_ fortress of Akka had been used as a prison and a place 
of exile to which the Sultan of Turkey sent his 
‘ political opponents, and the deadly climate of that 
_ferver-stricken rock slowly but surely accomplished 
the desired destruction of many of these unfortunate 
ones. 
if Here Bahd’u’ll4h and his people were thrust into 
two rooms of the barrack prison. With poor and 
"insufficient food, and water not fit to drink, fever and 
_ sickness broke sit among the believers. Their suffer- 
i ings were most intense, yet through all they were 








24. 


spiritually in the greatest joy and peace, for they 
realized that only by meeting the very worst of this 
world’s conditions could Baha’u'llah relieve and change ~ 
those conditions; while, as for themselves, they were — 
only too happy and contented to share his sufferings, — 

It was during this close confinement of Bahé’wllah — 
within the prison of Akka that he made his declaration — 
to the world. This was accomplished by sending a — 
series of epistles which he had written while in Adria- — 
nople, to the rulers and potentates of the earth. In> 
these missives he clearly states his mission, and he 
announces to all this latter-day call of the Lord, — — 
the call of unity, harmony, and peace. a 

Very soon the officials and officers of the city began — 
to realize the greatness of Baha’u’llah, and some among 
them believed in him. His fame as a teacher spread; — 
and actuated by that veneration for wisdom, so peculiar 
to the Orient, many sought his presence to be awakened — 
to those truths, the existence of which they previously © 
had not. realized. : 

After two years of close confinement in prison, Bahé- 
‘u'll4h was allowed to live in a house provided for 
him and his family within the fortification. His follow- 
ers entered into various occupations in the town and — 
vicinity, and the material condition of the community 
was greatly improved, 

In the early days of the imprisonment of Bahé’u Nh 
in Akka, when he was most closely guarded and with — ; 
the greatast difficulty his communications were trans- 4 
mitted to those outside the prison, his followers often — 
journeyed from Persia overland for months to obtain — 


ee ee 


Rishi. EHP as: 





25 


but a glimpse of him standing at his barred window, 
























parapet of the prison; and then they returned to their 
homes with renewed fervor and zeal to promulgate 
his Cause. Later, these pilgrims from various countries 
had access to him; and quickened by his power went 
forth to proclaim his Cause in the uttermost parts of 
the earth. ! 

_ Besides those who saw him personally, Bahd’u'lldh 
Be ached thousands in distant lands and satisfied their 
thirst for knowledge through his tablets, which were 
epistles of exhortation, advice and explanation, written 
in response to letters from believers and seekers. 

_ During the latter years of his ministry, Bahd’u’ll4h 
Spent much time in the country, in the vicinity of 
Akka, even visiting Haifa and not far distant Mt. 
Carmel. At the village of Bahji, situated on the plain 
of Akka, he departed this life in the month of May, 
1892. He lived forty years of hardship, imprisonment 
and exile, that the soul of the world might be 
quickened with the life of the spirit. The shrine of 
Baha’wil4h at Babji is greatly venerated by many 


_ With the manifestation of Baha’u’llah not only did 
the followers cease to be known as Babis, becoming 
Bahé’is in name, but in the deepest spiritual sense did 
they receive eon Bahé’wll4h that soul-quickening 
touch which created within them the power to go 
forth to all the world, carrying the message of peace, 
attracting the people of all nations and religions, and 
fulfilling that which he sent them forth to accomplish, 


or to gaze at him from afar as he walked upon the © 


pilgrims who yearly visit it from all parts of the world. . 


26 





Dating from the time of the declaration of Bahia’ 
ll4h in the Garden of El Ridvan, the Cause assumes a 
universal or a world character; for from a study of 
his doctrines it is understood that the teachings of 
Bahé’a’ll4h are not limited to the needs of certain 
conditions and countries, nor to the oriental peoples. - 
_ He comes, the one promised by all religions, for all 
peoples under all conditions, both oriental and occi-— 
dental, His teaching is universal; it is for the whole 
world. a 

During Bahdé’u'll4h’s ministry his revelation was com-— 
plete, yet his Cause was not-explained nor established — 
in the world in general. To this end, in his testa-— 
ment, as well as in various parts of his teachings, he 
commanded his followers upon his departure to turn — 
their faces toward his eldest son ’Abbdés, now more 
widely known by his title ’Abdt’l-Bahd, the One whom 
he had chosen as their spiritual guide, « The Center 
of The Covenant » to the people of the world, the 
expounder of his teachings, the one who would extablish 
this great movement and explain and demonstrate it 
before the world, — the one upon whose shoulders 
his mantle w ould fall. . 


-ABDU’L-BAHA. 


*Abdw’l-Bah4é was born in Tihrén, Persia, on the 
23d of May, 1844, the day upon which The Bab first 
declared his message. During all the trials and vicis- 
situdes of the mission of Bahd’u’lldh, ’Abdt’l-Bahé was 
at his right hand promulgating his Cause and serving 





ve alt —_— 4 Fi tease Pn nd ee bh ‘wel Pe! te So ellen re a. -— = 
“ g y Feet Satie & es rice ted = 8 : 
' ¥ ‘ 
‘ 


27 
































his followers. As a mere lad in years ’Abdti’l-Baha 
|was the first to recognize Bahd’u’ll4h as the Promis- 
led One, and the first to voice the mighty message of 
\the coming mission of the « Lord of the Ages ». 

| *Abdt’l-Bahd made but one claim for himself as to 
|his spiritual station, that of service in the path of 
God. He signed himself « ’Abdt’l-Bahé’A bbas », which,. 
ibeing translated, is « Abbds the Servant of God ». 
|His spiritual station was attested to in clear terms in 
jthe words of Baha’u’llah, and all of the divine power, 
|glory and majesty ascribed to him therein he demon- 
lstrated in his mission as the Center of the Bahd’i 
|Covenant. He was acknowledged by the Bahd’is as 
\their spiritual leader and the one to be emulated in the 
jteaching of this great faith in the world. He, through his 
jexample, brought the spiritual life of Baha’w'llah within 
|the reach of his followers, the Bahd’is. He was the 
first fruit of the consummation of God’s latter-day 
jpromise to the world, and after Bahé’u’ll4h he was 
jthe center from which the light was radiated to the 
world; therefore he in his mission lived and exempli- 
fied his title of « The Center of The Covenant ». 

| ’Abdu’l-Baha’s life was one of active service to hu- 
manity. There was no element in the daily life of this 
world too small to receive his attention. The great 
motive power manifesting through him was not of this 
world but was of God. He worked to serve God, 
yet by serving God he served mankind. From his 
early childhood until his sixty fourth year he was an 
exile and a prisoner, yet the light of his life and teach- 
ings reached far beyond the prison gates and pen- 


28 





etrated the distant corners of the earth. For ote 
years ’Abdti’l-Bah& was a prisoner in the fortress of 
Akka, held there by the Sultan of Turkey for no- 
other reason than that his teaching was bringing en-_ 
lightenment and freedom of thought to all who came— 
within the radius of its power. With the fall of the 
old despotic regime of Turkish government and the 
establishment of a constitutional rule which occurred — 
in the summer of 1908, *Abdti’]-Bah4 was liberated from 
prison, and was then free to come and go as he will- | 
ed. During the summer and fall of 1911 he visited - 
England and France, where he spent some months in > 
teaching ; and in 1912 he spent eight months in Amer-_ 
rica, traveling and teaching from coast to coast, visit- 
ing many cities and towns where he had friends, and 
where there were those to listen to his explanalaeae 
of religious questions, seeking that vitalizing guia 
force which so characterized his presence. y 
Upon this tour, in both America and Europe, the 
pulpits of many Ciieeiin churches of various sects and 
cults, institutions of learning, and the platforms of 
iphilosophical and humanitarian movements of various — 
types welcomed ’Abdt’l-Baha and his message of the 
oneness of the world of humanity. The people who 
heard him were rejoiced by the spirit which he ra- 
diated, and those who eame within the field of his” 
Siititualiby and power were strengthened and inspired, — 
"Abdw’l-Baha had the power of really penetrating | 
the souls of men; of understanding the needs of each 
individual soul, and of ministering to them in the most 
beneficial manner. He was the spiritual physician who 





a ANE PA Ly ad wait? Siiod AS py ewe PSN OO A ORE Ee 
Y 7 Seay hd ha What is aie ee a ; BAT Baya Mt Ne taal - 
ae Rae ay eS ta ard Wey 


29 


treated humanity. Many beautiful and touching inci- 
‘dents are related in the Hast of the way in which, 
through long suffering and kindness, he won the 
hearts of those who, because of their prejudices, were 
formerly his enemies. COaring for the sick and protect- 
ing the oppressed formed a large part of his daily 
duties. One of the titles applied to him in the Orient 
was « Father of the Poor >». 

_ *Abdti’l-Baha’s power was that of love. In going 
into his presence something within one’s soul seemed 
to respond to his soul. Thus a spiritual bond was 
formed which was most far-reaching, for it was of the 
nature of divine love and always remained with one. 
Through his life and example, he taught the people 
the life and the way of the Kingdom. He had a mes- 
sage for every one, and as one met and contacted 
with him in spirit, it was asifa new force were added 
to one’s nature. ‘The power of the love of God was 
brought very close to those who came into spiritual 
contact with ’Abdt’l-Baha. 

_ ’Abdi'l-Bahd was in Palestine during all the years 
of the war, serving and relieving the sufferings and 
misery of the people brought about by this world 
calamity. At the close of the war, when the British 
army took possession of Palestine, it was possible again 
ar people from many countries to visit ’Abdt’l-Baha, 
i fame as a counselor and an advisor became known 
among the officials of the English army of occupation, 
and many sought consultation with him. In April 
of 1920, the Knighthood of the British Hmpire was 

























30 





conferred upon him by the government in oe 
of his humanitarian services. 

On the 29th of November, 1921, ’Abdt’l-Baha passed 
quietly out from this world. nko to his friends 
and even to his family, he had made all plans for the 
guidance of the Cause and its continuance after his 
departure, and without any warning or apparent ill- 
ness, he quickly passed into the realm beyond, Great 
was the grief of many people, people in all parts of 
the world, people of different beliefs, who had visited 
him and id received spiritual help, od who upon leay- 
ing him had returned to their various homes to share 
with othersethe joy and assurance of his spiritual 
message and to follow in his path of service to God 
and to humanity. | 

His was the perfect life, and as the people contacted 
with him more and more, they found in him the center 
of the spiritual light and consciousness of this new 
day and age. From that center flowed the regener- 
ative Baha’i spirit which made all things new, reestab- 
lishing religion, reviving faith in God, and uniting 
humanity in the one universal becthechaud of God's 
Kingdom. ; 


THE GUARDIAN OF THE CAUSE. ie 


As Baha’u’ll4h provided a center for the solidarity 
and furtherance of the Cause after his departure, 
*Abdu’l-Bahé covenanted in his Will that after hi 
passing there would be a continued and perpetuates 





Le, Yaa hge 


















31 


system with a center of guidance for the Cause, a 
Guardian. 

 *Abdt’l-Bahd appointed his eldest grandson, Shoghi 
‘Effendi, to be the first of these Guardians. 

_Shoghi Effendi descends on his mother’s side from 
Bahé’u’llah through ’Abdu’l-Baha, and upon his father’s 
side from a collateral branch of the family of the 
Bab.* Upon him now devolves the duty of establish- 
ing the organization of the Cause according to the 
directions in the Will and Testament of ’Abdw’l-Baha. 
_ In the following paragraphs from this Testament 
Shoghi Effendi’s mission is stated, 

 O my loving friends! After the passing away of this 
“wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Branches and 
Twigs of the Sacred Lote Tree (i. e. the relatives of the 
Bab and Bahd’wllah), the Hands of the Cause of God 
and the loved ones of the Abhd Beauty, to turn unto 
| Shoghi Effendi — the youthful Branch, branched from the 
two hallowed and sacred Lote Trees (Bab aud Bahd’u’llah) 
and the fruit grown from the union of the two offshoots 
| of the Tree of Holiness, as he is the sign of God, the 
chosen branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, he 
unto whom all the Branches, the Twigs, the Hands of 
the Cause of God and His loved ones must turn. He 
is the expounder of the words of God, and after him 
will succeed the first-born of his lineal descendents... 
_ The sacred and youthful branch, the Guardian of 
the Cause of God, as well as the Universal Assembly 


| * The Bab’s only child, a son, died in infancy. 


my te “ye” iy ¥ ¥ a Fe Ta ve ba, Een a mt {os imap Ts ae (Ole Bia el. ee al ee AAR 
atlanta png ene GS (ile SE ATR SE Dh oo a ee eal ny 
4 EOI O EN eng ea Aieet ge Ue coi : ; 

ee is 1 . . la ‘ ; 


32 





(Baytwl-’Adl) to be wniversally elected and established; are 
both under the care and protection of the Abha Beauty, 
under the shelier and wunerring guidance of His Holi- 
ness the Exalted One. May my life be offered up for 
them both! Whatsoever they decide is of God... 

O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon thal 
Guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his onn 
lifetime him that shall become his successor, that differ- 
ences may not arise after his passing. He that is ap- 
pointed must manifest in himself detachment from all 
worldly things, must be the essence of purity, must show 
im himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learn-— 3 
ing. Thus, should the first-born of the Guardian of 
the Cause if God not manifest in himself the truth of 
the words, « The child is the secret essence of its sire >) 
that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within (the 
Gudrdian), and his glorious lineage not be matched with 
a goodly character, then must the Guardian of the Cause 
choose another branch to succeed him, 

The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their 
onn number nine persons that shall at all times be oc- 
cupied in the important services of the work of the Guar- 
dian of the Cause of. God. The election of these nine 
must be carried, either wnanimously or by majority, 
from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God, 
and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote 
must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the 
Guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor, 
This assent must be given in suchwise that the assenting 
and dissenting voices may not be distinguished (i, e, b 
secret ballet), | 


> PS 








. ) ie 33 


Important among the Baha’{ institutions mentioned 
in the writings of Baha’u’llé is that of the Baytu’l-’Adl 
(Spiritual Assembly), the duty of which will be the 
service and direction of the Cause and its furtherance. 
The plan for the development and the founding of 
this assembly was left to ’Abdt’l-Baha, and in ’Abdu’l- 
Baha’s Testament is further unfolded the plan for this 
Spiritual institution, and it is left to the Guardian of 
the Cause to put this Baha’i organization into effect. 
The organization calls for two distinct bodies, funct- 
ioning with the Guardian and upholding the divine 
poe of this religion. 

Ist. The « Hands of the Cause of God ». 
\ 2nd. The Spiritual Assemblies. 


The Hands of the Cause of God. ! 


~ 


In the Will of ’Abdt’l-Baha the duties of the Hands 
of the Cause of God are stated as follows: 

O friends! The Hands of the Cause of God must be 
nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Cause 
of God.... The obligation of the Cause of God is to dif- 
fuse the divine fragrances, to edify the souls of men and 
10 be, at all times and under all circnmstancs, sancti- 
and detached from earthly things. They must mani- 
fest. the fear of God by their conduct, their manners, 
heir deeds and their words. 

This body of the Hands of the Cause of God is under 
he direction of the Guardian of the Cause of God. He 
nust continually urge them to strive and endeavor to the 







84 





utmost of their ablity to diffuse the sweet savors of God, and 
to guide all the people of the world, for it is the light to 
divine guidance that causeth all the universe to be il- 
lumined, 


The Spiritual Assemblies. 


These are a series of Spiritual Assemblies, local and 
national with one international Assembly. The local 
Spiritual Assemblies in each Bahd’{ community, elected 
by the people, have charge of local Bahd’i activities. 
The National Spiritual Assembly in each country ig 
above the local assemblies, and has charge of the 
Baha’i activities in that land; while the Universal or 
International Spiritual Assembly is above the Nation- 
al Assemblies. The Guardian of the Cause is presi- 
dent of this Universal Assembly, and to this body will 
be referred all general and far reaching matters and 
problems and the questions which will arise with the 
growth and development of the Baha‘i work, 

Of this Assembly organization ’Abdu’l-Baha writes 
in his testament: by 

And now concerning the Assembly (Baytu’l-’ Adl) iohicl 
God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed 
from all error, it must be elected by wniversal suffrage, 
that is, by the believers. Its members must be manifes- 
tations of the fear of God, and day springs of know 
and understanding ; must be steadfast in God’s faith, 
aud the well-wishers of all mankind. By this Assembli 
is meant the Universal Assembly ; that is, in each count 










35 


—@ secondary Assembly must be instituted, and these sec- 
ondary Assemblies must elect the members of the Uni- 
versal Assembly. 
_ Unto this body all things must be referred, It enacteth 
all ordinances and regulations that are not to be found 
m the explicit holy text, By this body all the difficult 
problems are to be resolved, and the Guardian of the 
Cause is its sacred head and the distinguished member, 
for life, of that body. Sould he not attend in person its 
deliberations, he must appoint one to represent him... 
This Assembly enacteth the laws and the executive en- 
forceth them. Te legislative body must reinforce the 
executive, the executive must aid and assist the legisla- 
tive body, so that, through the close union and har- 
moniy of these two forces, the foundation of fat, ness and 
justice may become firm aud strong, that all the regions 
of the world may become even as Paradise itself, 
_ Already Shoghi Effendi has inaugurated a system of 
local and national assemblies, and the friends of the 
Cause are now looking toward his future work in the 
further development of these spiritual institutions, 
which are at the heart of the organization of the Cause. 
The distress of the Baha'is caused by the passing 
of their beloved Master, "Abdu’l-Baha, is to some 
extent assuaged by the provision in his testament 
whereby they have an organization and a head to 
carry on his work. Shoghi Effendi at the time of the 
assing of ‘Abdw’l-Bah4 was but twenty-five years of 
ge. He has the love, devotion and confidence of the 
ahé‘is in all countries. In his decisions they see the 
greatest spiritual wisdom, and they are doing all in 









86 





their power to support him and aid him in his — 
great work, strong in the assurance that this is the | 
Cause of God, and that its growth and spiritual vic- — 
tory over the irreligion of the world, with its super- — 
stition and misery, is assured and confirmed and cannot 
fail, under the guiding spirit of Shoghi Effendi. 


THE BAHA’i WRITINGS. 


The collective writings of The Bab are known as 
_« The Bayan ». These treat of the coming of Baha’u’- © 
llah, and contain exhortations to the people, calling | 
them to purify and to prepare themselves to meet the | 
Promised One that they may be fitted to serve him. — 

Baha’uw’ll4h wrote many treatises in the form of — 
books and epistles in which he demonstrates the one- — 
ness of the spirit of all of the former religious teach-— 
ings, and treats also of his present teachings in their — 
relation to the religions of the past. A number of | 
these writings were in reply to special questions asked | 
by men of learning and were therefore written from 
various points of thought: Musl’im, Jewish, Chris- 
tian, etc. 4 

The writings of ’Abdt’l-Bahdi are many, and are 
chietly in the form of letters (tablets) explanatory of | 
the spirit and the teachings of Bahé’u’ll4h. In Abdwt’l- 
Baha’s life of service to humanity was his method 
of teaching, through which means he gave vigor and 
penetrative force to his words. His teaching, inclu- 
ding many addresses made before groups of people 














SPR ees SMe RE racecar? yrit 






ete | 87 


and large audiences, much of which is reported and 
circulated in manuscript and printed form, consists 
of explanations given to various inquirers regarding 
the Cause and its doctrines, together with exhort- 
ations to the followers, and certain principles and truths 
the pursuance of which is conducive to the best sec- 
ular as well as spiritual welfare of mankind. 


THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 


The Baha’i teaching upon eternal lifeis the same as 
that held in the pure tenets of the former revelations, 
_ This divine life is the state of soul of spiritually quick- 
ened man. All souls exist as entities after the separ- 
ation from the material body. -However, from the 
spiritual standpoint of the divine life and activity 
of the soul, this mere unawakened existence is not 
spiritual life. Only those souls who are awake to 
the knowledge of God can be said to be divinely 
_awake and alive an to partake of the life eternal. 
This spiritual awakening is from God. It is His gift 
and greatest bounty to man, By virtue of the truth 
-and spirit revealed to humanity through the prophets 
-and Manifestations, man’s soul is awakened from the 
spiritual state of slumber of the world of nature, and 
in this quickened state, though in the world, yet he 
lives in a higher realm from which he receives divine 
strength and force. 

_ According to the Bahdé’i teaching, heaven and _ hell 
are conditions of the soul. The soul which lives in 
God and is alive to His truth is in that divine state 


















Bs. 





, 


called heaven; while one not yet awakened to the : 
glory of God, is in a state of darkness, or hell. The 
coming of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth has been 
the one theme of Christ and the prophets. All have 
spoken of this epoch in different terminology, but in 
reality they all spoke of the one great age of divine 
enlightenment, — a time when faith should replace 
unbelief, and when divine knowledge should replace 
ignorance and superstition. The Baha’i Cause teaches 
that the world is now in the early dawn of that new 
day and age. 


SOCIAL REFORMS, LAWS AND ORDINANCES. 


In addition to the purely spiritual or religious 
teachings of Baha’uw’llah, he advised certain changes in 
the manners and customs of people, through the ob- 
servance of which the world in general will be helped 
both materially and spiritually. He exhorts the Bah#is © 
to be tolerant, and in no way to separate themselves 
from other people, nor to denounce those of other 
beliefs. All men are free to develop individually, but — 
all are advised and exhorted to unite in faith and to — 
Jay aside the prejudices and superstitions of past ages, — 
Warfare should be abolished, and international ques-— 
tions settled by arbitration. A universal language is | 
urged as a means of bringing people together in unity, © 
Legislation should be representative. The Baha’is 
should be peaceful and law-abiding citizens, Their 
thought should be humanitarian before all else, Faith 






39 





‘without works is not acceptable. ‘Worship should be 
supplemented by a pure and useful life in the world. 
‘Men and women should marry. Asceticism is discour- 
aged. Monogamy is taught. Harshness and hatred 
are to be overcome by gentleness and love. Man 
should not use intoxicants as a beverage. Opium and 
‘kindred drug habits are denounced, as is also gam- 
‘bling. 

 Baha’u'lla4h forbade mendicity, slavery, cruelty to 
animals, and many other abuses which our western 
Civilization has already remedied, so it is hardly neces- 
sary here to mention them, The following of these © 
ordinances is already producing its good effects in the 
many Baha*i centers throughout the world, and good 
fruits are coming therefrom. 




















THE MASHRIQU’L-ADHKAR. 
} B havullah taught that prayer and glorification of 
ihe Divinity, supplemented by a pure and useful life 
in this world, form the elements of true worship. 
Maith without works is not acceptable. Every man 
fhould have an occupation which conduces to the wel- 
fare of humanity, the diligent pursuance of which is 
fn itself an act of worship. 

} In this Cause there are teachers but no priesthood 
or clergy apart from the laity, such as are now found 
ao some of the former religious systems. Hach soul 
pproaches God in prayer without sacerdotal interme- 





40 | Bs 


In the Baha’i teachings provision is made for temples” 
of worship, about which are to center the spiritual 
and philanthropic activities of the Cause, and from 
which will be diffused the divine teachings of the re- 
ligion, tempered by the Baha’ spirit manifested through 
service to humanity. : 

As one reviews history he sees that every religion 
has had its temples or places of worship. In the epoch 
of the early Israelitish prophets the people led nomadic 
lives, going up into the mountains at stated times for 
their religious observances. Thus the open air altars’ 
on the mountains were the recognized centers of the 
religious life of the people. 

Later, while the Children of Israel were migrating 
from Egypt to the Holy Land, the tabernacle occupied 
the central position in their encampment, and subse- 
quently, in their capital city, Jerusalem, the temple of 
the Lord crowned the highest hill Aa was the center 
ot the intellectual, material, and religious life of the 
pevple. 

Still later, in the typical Christian city of long ago, 
the cathedral was the great central edifice about which 
the other buildings of the city, religious and secular, 
were grouped. As the religious life of the people of 
this epoch was all important, this principle was express 
ed in the architectural development of their cities, 

The temple of each religion and civilization is alway 
found to be architecturaly the focal point of the city 
The acropolii of the Greek cities, upon the summits 
of which were temples, the forums of the Roman cit: 
ies with their many temples, the mosques of th 










Kis elepeh. oss tort ate cil ee” ss A 


41 





- Musl’im cities, the fire altars of the Zoroastrians, the 

pagodas vf the Buddhists, and the temples of the 
Hindus, — all testify that each religion has been 

creative of its own art and civilization in the evo- 
lution of the epochal temple. 

In times past true religion has been the chief mo- 
tive force for advancement, learning and culture, The 
- Bahdé’is now anticipate the day when great universal 

temples for the worship of God will be built, as a 
result of the spiritual quickening of the people, which 
will foster and further all phases of this new age of 

humanity. 
The Mashriqu’l-Adhkér, which translated from the 
“Persian literally means « The dawning point of the 
mentionings of God, » is the Baha’i temple of worship 
and service to Huiiantay: It consists of a central 
building for worship, the temple proper, surrounded by 
schools, hospitals and hospices, homes and asylums for 
the orphan, for the incurable and for the aged, and 
also of colleges and a university. The temple of the 

Mashriqu’l-Adhkar is for reading, meditation and prayer. 
_ It is essentially a place for worship, for drawing near in 
ee to God. Thusitwill be a center ofspiritual power 
and attraction exerting a divine influence in the world. 
i Its many institutions are for the practical, moral 
and physical service to humanity. The Bahda’is ap- 
Bireviate that man should glorify God in deed as well 
as by word of mouth, therefore this principle is em- 
bodied in its fullest empression in their temples. 
Some years ago the first large Mashriqu’il-Adhkar 
was built in the city of Ishqudbéd in Oriental Russia, 








- 


42 


where there is a large following of the Baha’ Movers 


ment, and where the Russian government, both under — 


the aut regime and that of the present, has been” J 
friendly to the Cause. First, the temple proper was — 
erected, an imposing structure in the Persian-Indian — 
style of architecture, with its great portal facing in 
the direction of the Holy Land; then a school was _ 


founded, and a hospice; and now other institutional 


pondings are being added, as the necessary ways and ' 


means are available. 


For some time the friends of the Baha’i Cause nice 
united in establishing a Mashriqu’l-Adhkar in America, 


Contributions were received from the far parts of the 
world, sent by, persons of different countries, races and 


religions, for the building of this great universal temple — 
in which peoples of every race and of all religions — 
might find a welcome, and worship there in spirit — 
and in deeds. A very beautiful site was acquired in ~ 
the town of Wilmette just north of the city of © 
Chicago, where the foundation and the lower story of — 
this edifice has already been built. Although only — 
partly constructed, the building is now used for re~ 4 


ligious activities, It is hoped that the superstructure 


of this temple, together with its surrounding institu- — 
tions will soon be built, so that in its completed form — 
this Mashriqu’il- Adhkér will stand forth asan ensign — 
calling the attention of the world, and attracting to — 
its fold all those who seek the great universal spirit — 


of God's Cause 


Of this temple, said Abdt’l Bahai: When these institu- 
tions, college, hospital, hospice and establishments for Y 


4 ay 








the incurables, university for the studiy of higher sciences 
and giving post-graduate courses, and other philantropic 
buildings are built, its doors wall hopened to all the 
nations and religions. There will be absolutely no line 
of demarcation drawn, Its charities will be dispensed 
‘irrespective of color or race. Its gates will be flung wide 
“open to mankind ; prejudice toward none, love for all. 
The central Miiding will be devoted to the purpose of 
prayer and worhip. Thus, for the first time, religion will 
become harmonized with science, and science will be the 
handmaid of religion, both showering their material and 
spiritual gifts on all humanity. | 















“EDUCATION. 


“ Through a broad and liberal education along scien- 
tific, material and intellectual lines, balanced by a high 
knowledge of man’s moral and spiritual duties and re- 
Jation to God, the Bahd’is believe that the superstitions 
of the past will disappear and with them the prejudice 
‘and ignorance which have always made for man’s lim- 
itation. The Bahai Cause stands strongly for the 
freedom and educatian of woman, even going so ar 
as to teach that it is more necessary for parents to 
eee their Ang than their boys. Women being the 


‘race, it is more necessary that they be educated then 
| In the Orient the condition of the Bahé’i women 
is for superior to that of the women in general in 
those countries. This is one of the clear demonstra- 


44 























tions of the awakening of these peoples theo nee 
spirit of this Cause, and their freedom from their 
former religious superstitions which denied educa- — 
tional advantages to women. Particularly in the 
Musl’im countries are the women denied culture 
and education by the established rule of theology; 
but now through the dawn of this new day and age 
with its new consciousness all these limitations of the © 
past are disappearing before the light of the truth of — 
God. 


WORLD PEACE. 


Religious differences have been one of the chief 
causes of warfare while religious sympathy and under- 
standing have always made for peace and prosperity. 
Prior to the beginning of the Bahd’{ Cause, little or 
nothing was being generally taught or written about 
peace, arbitration, universal language, snffrage nor 
other universal propositions, During the past three- . 
quarters of a century, however, the spirit of the uni- 
versal call of this Cause has gone forth, and gradually, © 
and through much travail and suffering, the world has 
awakened to the necessity for all of these institutions 
for which the Bahd’i Cause stands. Now the most 
enlightened people are realizing that lack of spiritual 
or true religious understanding, with the accompaning 
lack of moral perception, is the real cause of our human 
ills and the cataclysmic conditions through which the. 
world is now passing, | 





ne 45 

“While Baha’ullah’s teaching was far ahead of the 
Fhught of the world of his day, the world of to 
day is realizing more and more the value of that 
teaching. The supply and demand are now meeting, 
from which better conditions will result. 

The Baha’is believe in a federation of all nations, 
| both large and small, and the establishment of a world 
Seatlinment for the eadielal settlement of international 

_ dispute. In treating of this matter of peace between 
- the nations, said ’Abdt’l-Baha : 

BA Mibunal will be under the power of God, and under 
@ the protection of all men. Each one must obey the deci- 


ie 


ie 
! 
5 
{ 
q 
4 
: 
Be 
















bY “ties of every nation. 

About fifty years ago in the Book of Abdas, Bald w'llah 
i commanded the people to establish universal peace and 
~ summoned all the nations to the divine banquet of inter- 


of national honor and property, and vital interests be- 
tween nations might be decided by an international arbi- 


Remember these precepts were given more than half a 
century ago, .... Bahd'wlléh proclaimed them to all the 
_ sovereigns of the world. They are the spirit of this age; 
r. the light of this age; they are the well-being of this age. 





46 | a x 





SCIENCE AND RELIGION. a 


The Baha'i Teachings maintain that there can be no ; 
disagreement between true science and the pure truths " 
of religion. The so-called disagreements between ad- | 
vancing science. and religion in reality have been dis- 
agreements between material truths and theological — 
institutions and imaginations; for in all ages it has 
been these superstitions of the people which have held 
back the progress of the world of science and adyan- — 
cement, and these theological superstitions are in rea- — 
lity the very antithesis of true religion. 

Science deals with the reality of the creation upon ~ 
the human or natural planes of existence; whereas — 
religion, in its purest sense, has to do with the work-_— 
ing of the spiritual or divine laws which govern the — 
divine or the higher life of man. Throughout the — 
entire universe there is, in reality, harmony. While © 
different laws work upon the various planes of crea-_ 
tion, mineral, vegetable, animal, human and divine, — 
to the scientist, with an all-around quickened and 
spiritually developed vision, there is no controversy — 
nor contradiction. Religion in its purity conforms — 
with science. 

The imaginations and superstitions of the religious — 
systems of the past are against common sense and 
science, for these are but the thoughts of men of the 
ages, The universal basic truths of religion, upon the 
contrary, accord with science. When men understand 






47 





the ays principles of religion, no conflict will be 
found between them and the material sciences. 


EVOLUTION OF MANN. 


According to the Baha’i Teachings spirit or life torce 
is of five kinds: vegetable, animal, human, the divinely 
_ spiritual life of the sould and the infinite unlimited Spirit 

of God, Man, from the begining was created man, a species 
apart and above the vegetable and animal conditions, — 
even as the vegetable and animal are above the min- 
« eral, Through the spiritual influence of the Manifes- 
_ tations of God’s Word, or the prophets, man becomes 
characterized by the divinely spiritual qualities, and 
adds to his human nature the SPIRALS nature, or the 
life eternal. 

_ The Baha’is see true religion itself as a_ scientific 
fact. To them the true philosophy of religion is the 
_ knowledge of the science of the higher spiritual laws 

of that plane of being known as the Kingdom of God, 
_ which is contained in all religions in their purity. 
, ‘Through the divine missions of the Manifestations or 
q mouthpieces of God, the working of the divine laws 
and a know ledge thereof, humanity arises from the 
ee of spiritual ignorance which characterizes the 
: so-called « natural » or savage man, and becomes 
quickened by a babtism of the higher life. Thus, 
through a knowledge of the basic principles of reli- 
gion, and through the wisdom which the living spirit 







48 


ORIENTAL-OCCIDENTAL UNITY. 


The Orient can truly be said to be the parent of 





. 
i 


the human race. From her heart went forth those , 


great racial wave movements which have peopled the 
earth. In her mountain fastnesses the prophets com- 


muned with God and received His life-giving truth : 


(which has been the inspiration of all mankind), and 
in her valleys and upon her plains civilization had its 
dawn. 


the offspring or child of the Orient. Both materially 


and spiritually the Occident has received its physical © 
life and its religious inspiration from the Orient, — 
the fruit of which is the present occidental civili- — 


zation. | 


During many centuries the peoples of the Hast and © 
those of the West have been separated by barriers, — 
racial, religious, geographic and political. So complete © 
has been this segregation that these two halves of — 


humanity have developed along different lines of 


thought, manners and customs, distinct and foreign to_ 


each other. 


The Occident can with equal truth be said to be : 


of religion instills into the soul, the truly religious man — 
is freed from the thraldom of ignorance and supersti- 
tion, which imprisons the soul, and he finds ample 
opportunity and scope for the development of the 
highest and noblest virtues peculiar to that plane of 
being, known as the Kingdom of God. 


- 


: 















49 





Now, in these latter days, through the breaking 
down of the former material barriers of distance and 
facilitating communication, the oriental and occidental 
_ peoples are being forced one upon the other. Through 
_international relations, the increase of foreign com- 
merce, travel and mingling of people, the Orientals 
and Pocidentals are daily coming into closer relations 
upon the material plane of life. 
_ That which will unite in one common world con- 
| sciousness these two halves of the human world is 
the confidence, trust, and mutual affinity which the 
spirit of the Baha’ faith is creating between the Hast 
and the West. Through the establishment of such 
“practical institutions of service as will demonstrate 
- this Spiritual unity, the greatest material and spiritual 
benefit to all humanity will result. Springing from 
- this spiritual foundation will be all of those religious, 
educational and social activities for which the Bahl 
Cause stands, and which will eventually unite in one 
civilization all the peoples of the world. 
- Union between the Hast and West can only be 
accomplished upon a spiritual foundation. As the Oc- | 
cident and the Orient meet on a common ground of 
religious affinity then an intellectual and social unity 
in all of its forms, with all of its institutions, will 
result. 
a In the coming epoch of religious, racial and national 
unity, for which the Bahd’{ Cause is paving the way, 
there will be no question of supremacy of one people 
over an other. All peoples will be members of one 
harmonious world-family, each working to serve, pro- 









OE AE AONE EY tnt Ona ae Bt 
fi OLN S fas i > EP, s' ry 


te 7 4 ' tay i 
. 7 e ‘a «hear, : 
% 4 d ae E> - 2 
Fs . x ‘ 
} ; penis y's : 
S28 


ness of which no one can now form any conception. — 























tect and help the other. Under this cooperative order 
which is the order of God’s Kingdom, the highest civic | 
and national institutions will be evolved, and the 
masses of the people will attain to a state of spiritual 
and social development. Thus humanity will attain 
to a state of civilization and advancement, the great-— 


THE ECONOMIC QUESTION. 


The Baha*i Cause teaches cooperation in all affairs, - 
Through working together for the good of the mass_ 
rather than for the aggrandisement of the individual, 
the Bahd’is anticipate that national and economic 
affairs will be so regulated that comparatively little 
misery will exist in the world, There will not be the — 
extremes of wealth and poverty which now exist, and 
all the people, both rich and poor will be better off, 

Through the stable financial conditions which co- 
operation between capital and labor will bring about, 
— cooperation for the best good of all concerned — 
the laborer will be assured of a livlihood and will be 
enabled to get the best out of life; and, upon the other 
hand, the capitalist will be less on the defensive and 
less burdened than he is now. Because of the cooper- 
ation of all classes, the wealthy will occupy them- 
selves more with matters pertaining to the general 
welfare of the people, rather than seeking mainly their 
own individual enjoyment. Ny 

As people come into the spirit of the Baha’ teaching 






a nd se see feria oF cooperation and carry out this 
ine ciple, the great economic problems which now 
reaten the world with dire calamities will disappear 
L give place to institutions for the highest good of 
ah kind. The Bahda’is believe that eventually through 
the divine consciousness of the religion of God, the 
v i ole world will recognize the power of this spirit- 
al principle of cooperation, and will apply it in 
matters of every day life: they will solve life’s mighty 
| ec onomic problem in all its details and establish harm- 
ony, 7, “a and plenty. 






mH METHOD OF TEACHING. 
The Baha'i teachings are given without money and 
kK ‘ shout price. Teachers are usually self-supporting, 
giving their time and services, the recompense for 
hich is the joy and satisfaction of serving in the 
of Truth. In some instances persons of means 
eit ve been known to provide traveling and living 
expenses, enabling certain speakers and teachers for a 
time to extend the field of their labors. The Assem- 
plies of Bahd’is appropriate funds for teachers who 
n eed assistance to enable them to travel to meet their 
audie nces. 

Dea eaching consists of first living the principles of 
th he Cause in one’s inner life, and then speaking to 
others. ; Unless a teacher lives the life of which he 
Bai nes, his words will have no effect upon the hearts 
of | others. 


- 


via x, 





































All Bahd’is are servants of the Gatiee: and prom r a . 
gate the teachings, each in his own sphere, each Wwol k- 
ing according to his ability. Some are able to go abou My 
through the world teaching and preaching, while other rs 
carry on their religious work in conjunction with their P 
material affairs. The Bahd’is in no way form a close. 
sect or cult. They do not separate themselves fro Mm 


other people. They work ever outward and in a 


knowledge and to Bakes humanity. Bi, 
In the following words ’Abdt’l-Baha instructs teach eR 
ers: % 
The intention of the teacher must be pure, “his sear 
independent, his spirit attracted, his thought at pea vf 
his resolution firm, his magnanimity exalted and ie eo 
love of God a shining torch. Le aa 
Should he become as such, his sanctified breathe’ will 
ever affect the rock ; otherwise there will be no result what te 
soever, As long as a soul is not perfected, how can he ej 
face the defects of others ? ; - ‘ 
Unless he is detached from aught else save God, 
can he teach severance to others ? 


THE BAHA’! ORGANIZATION IN AMERICA. 


The Bahd*t‘organization in America is similar Pas 
of the Oause in other countries, In the city or: 
munity where there are nine or more Baha'is, a 
Spiritual Assembly is formed. The duties of this 
sembly are to arrange for the meetings of the Bal 


‘ 
A® 


iA 






aaa for teaching the divine principles of the religion 
“and proclaiming its message. The details of this 
and other works such as: The building of the 
- Mashriqu’ il-Adhkar, the education of children, caring 
for the poor and the sick, and other drives are in 
the hands of the various special committees Haat 
by the Spiritual Assembly. | 

Each year, usually at the close of the Feast ue 
- Ridvén, commemorative of the declaration of Baha’ 
“Méh at Baghdad, a general Bahd’i convention is neld, 
j the delegates to which are sent from the local assem- 
-blies. These delegates assembled in convention elect 
“the National Spiritual Assembly, a body consisting of 
nine members that manages the general affairs of the 
Cause int he country. Their term of office is one year, 
Their function, which is of general or national impor- 
“tance, is legislative while the work is done through 
“executive committees which handle the business of the 
Cause, such as: the teaching of the Cause, the build- 
_ ing of the Mashriqu’il-Adhiar, the publication of Baha'i 
j ‘literature, education of children, the placing of Bahda’i 
4 books in pibliC libraries, the amassing of the archives 
of the Cause, ete, 
; 2 Contributions are voluntary, and are usually offered 
: through the local assemblies. These assemblies make 
ise which are sent to a national fund used 


Ss A REY pg 















GROWTH ‘OF THE MOVEMENT 


fined to the Islamic countries. During the minis try 


is touched by the Bahda’i spirit, he becomes a citis en 


-jnherited from forebears and environment are chang 


Linh Dae 
PT =. 






















ae 
aes 


Sie 


The Movement under the Bab was practically: co 


of Bahd’u'llah the message was taken to various other — 
countries of the Orient, but later, under the minis | 
tion of ’Abdt’l-Bahd, it spread around the world. There Sf 
are not only centers of Bahs’i teaching in China, Japar 
Burma, India, Persia, Turkistén, Caucasia, the Turkis Ne 
countries, Egypt, and other oriental lands, but there are 
also Bahé’i centers in France, Germany, Hnglana Ital 
and other parts of Europe, xd throughout the Unite 
States and Canada, South Africa, South America, Au- 
stralia and New Zealand. This growth has been a a 
comparatively slow but a steady one. It is not limite ‘ed wel 
by religious or racial conditions. This is proven by 
the many heterogeneous elements which this Cause : ‘is . 
assimilating and fusing it.to one element, the univers sal 
world type of man, ieee 
The universality of the principles of truth which the 
Baha'i Cause is teaching is already clearly demon- 
strated by the fact that they appeal to people a of 
all religions, races, and nationalities. When as ul 


ni 
yt 


‘4 

¥ 

eo 
hee 
Sam 


of the world, freed from the limitations of his former 
local environment. His social and religious prejudices 


into a desire to do something toward world brot Bs : 
hood through tangible service to his fellow-men. In 
the Bahé’i meetings, notably those in the Orie ont 


55 


one sees Christians, Jews, Musl’ims, Zoroastrians, 
Hindus and Buddhists, mingling as brothers and 


eating at the same tables. It has been the writer’s 


privilege to travel extensively and to attend many 
such reunions. He has spent much time in the oriental 
countries and has witnessed the spiritual blending of 
the Orient and Occident, which process is being brought 
aboutby the love and devotion of the Bahda’is, one for 
another. These people are really demonstrating the 


power of divine love, which is so powerful as to 


_ overcome all religious and racial antipathy, and produce 


real brotherhood and peace. 


SL 





57 
INDEX 

Foreword . ; : F ‘ ; k R Page 90 

The Universal Bea atercxs ; 
The religious need of the time ‘ ; ‘ ; j a 
Object. : : : ; * ‘ , : ‘ ‘ tad 
Divine revelation . ; : ; : : ; EA i 
The oneness of the Manifestations 3 ; , : ; . 14 
The new Revelation . ; ‘ BRT : : ‘ . 15 
HOE AOR ac a Ea Oita AAI ES Re EGY 
Baha’u’llah . J : ; P ; : : ‘ ‘ Bs 
’Abdwl-Baha : ; : z . : ‘ » | 26 
The Guardian of the Cause : : , ; " : 30 
The Hands of the Cause of God . ; : : aa, 
The Spiritual Assemblies. 2 ; , : : : . 34 
The Baha’i writings . , ; ; } : 5 ; 30 
The Kingdom of God i : ‘ ; : ‘ eas 
Social reforms, laws and Grdineuces : j é f AEN, +2: 


The Mashriqu’l- -Adhkar ; : , ‘ j ; : SNS 
MMMM hae iyipc'a life oe Pane . 43 
World peace. ; Sint 2 ‘ ‘ . ; . 44 

Science and religion . : ; : : P ; \ . 46 
Evolution of man : AT 
Oriental-Occidental Unity. 48 

t The economic questions.. . . WO Ayo nt ee Soa 

ere the method of teaching -° 2... we ee 

The Baha'i organization in America ‘ ; ; : eae 

PeeeneOr tie MOVEMENT. 2 eid to 8 a tS ee OMe 


—— SS 
























Writings of Baha’w'ilah 


‘es lidden Words, the essence of the teachings of all the BrODne ts a, 
or Paper covers . : ; ; ep ony’ 
si la feleathier. ‘ Rapelyarbdyrd vt ': 


ib he Book of Assurance, (Tablet of eta ‘exniumnina the 
oneness of all the Prophets and their page he: as. the At 
M _ expression of the Will of God. «) eG ROO 
Ta blets of .Baha’u’ilah, (Tarazdt, The World, arards of es 
Paradise, Tajall’iyat, Glad Tidings, Ishragat), social and at 
spiritual principles of the new age. 2S AT ave 
Seven Valleys, the stages passed by travelers on the path of ty 
sf Spiritual knowledge : 7 cee bs 
Ry iM : ‘ ‘ By 
Py. ate a . “Writings of ’Abdi’l-Bah4 | ba eh, 
ee P D mulgation of Universal Peace, public addresses delivered ae 
on _ throughout the United States in 1912, Volume One . . $ 2.50 i 
isdom of ’Abdi’1-Baha, a brief but ees he at + 5 
“ane message. Paper covers . SERRA .§ a +h 
In y : ies 
ee - Answered Sunstone: an Srhaaiion of fan danientel Hy 
sp r itual and philosophic problems. oy So ZOO eas ia 





‘a b ets of ’Abda’l-Baha, intimate letters written in n reply to Se 
Bucanons addressed by individuals and groups. ‘ 1.73. 


My ysterious Forces of Civilization, a work addressed to he 
people of Persia nearly forty reg ay? to show them the 
wa y to true progress .. Pipers? SD | 
‘Div eae selected addresses delivered in Paris on 

the eve of the Great War . eens oo 


te Abd ’1-Baha in London, a record of public and private 
esses delivered in 1911. . : A ; 


Abdi ’1-Bahé in New York, containing selected addresses 

deliv ered at Columbia University and various churches and 
_ public meetings in 1912 Seats, < 7 tor) sae adts pay ea ale ae 
5 Xe hae : a 


rr 


Va sh 
a 
Ps 3 


4 


na Series of twelve articles introductory to the study of The 


: \ < 


+ 4 i 
oi | i 
: F mate ee ) St 
ra SP ) Grae Art paps i) 
hy ] , Mi ao is 
-~6©60 # ines x 
“A in > +e F v heal | 
hig ll «fy 


‘Tablet to ‘the Committee on Peace; The Hague, a eee 

Wisdom Talks of Abdt’l Baha, selected addresses 0 on spt 
‘Baha’ Scriptures, . Nee : ; : , 
The Baha'i Proofs, by Mirza Abul Fazl Gulpaygan 


_ The Brilliant Proof, by Mirza Abul Fazl Gulpaygan 


_ Unity Triumphant, by Elizabeth Herrick, oh Sa we 









written in 1917 to reveal the foundations of “universal 
PERCE Ei 5 


and scientific subjects... 2 


Compilations 


Books about the Baha’i Movement 


SaRenwaewe ne — 


Baha’u’lla4h and the New Era, by J. E. Esslemont. =. 
Baha’u’llah and His Message, by J. E. Esslemont. . — 
The Oriental Rose, by Mary Hanford Ford,. . . 


= 
. 


Baha’ism: The Modern Social Religion, by Horace Holley, ; 
Baha’i: The Spiril of the Age, by Horace Holley. . . 
The Revelation of Baha’u’llah, by Isabella D. Brittingham . 


Baha’i Teachings, by Charles Mason Remey. : 
192 pages - bound in Cloth. p - : : ; 
10 copies. ’ : ey 


The Universal Danecioduneas of The Baha'i erelatiina: by 
Charles Mason Remey. 


60 pages - paper signet covers , é P ; ; 
50 copies. ; ‘ ; aN = ‘ 
BU OODLCG oR th yl ob wc hy oh er 


These book can be purchased from the 
Baha’i Publishing Committee 


P. O. Box 148 Grand Central Station 
New York, N. Y., U. S. A. 





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